Embodiments of the invention relate to sample container or sample container holder storage systems.
When sample tubes are conventionally processed by a sample processing system, samples may have to wait to be further processed or are held for retesting in some cases. In such cases, a technician may have to manually place the sample tubes containing the samples into storage units, such as a refrigerator for subsequent testing. There can be a number of reasons for this. For instance, a sample may need to be retested at a later date, so the sample may be stored for possible later use. In another example, an analyzer may not be ready or available to analyze a sample. Additionally, local country laws may require that certain types of samples be retained for defined periods of time for retesting, such as in France where it is required to maintain certain patient samples having infectious disease such as HIV or HCV for a defined period of time. The patient samples may then be stored in a storage unit such as a refrigerator for the defined period of time. When patient samples are stored, the technician will manually note the type of patient sample, i.e. HIV or HCV, the retention date and refrigerator location in a notebook (e.g., refrigerator 1, drawer 6). This allows the sample to be easily retrieved for further processing or disposal. The following are examples of these types of manual processes.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional process flow for processing samples in a serum bank using an automated sample processing system. In step 1000, sampled blood is placed into sample tubes. At steps 1002 and 1004, a pre-analytical process is performed using the automated sample processing system, and a sample aliquot is placed in a sample tube. In steps 1006 and 1008, the sample tube may be sorted and a bioassay may be performed. If a bioassay is not yet to be performed on a sample in a sample tube, then in step 1010, the sample tube may be positioned in a common box, uncorrelated with an analytical test code (e.g., one after another). In step 1012, a box reference such as the date may be associated with the box. Lastly, in step 1014, the box is stored in a freezer at a location selected by the technician who writes down the location of the sample and type of sample for future reference.
FIG. 2 shows another conventional process flow for a serum bank that is processed manually. In step 1020, blood is sampled and is placed into sample tubes. The samples in a sample tube may then be processed with bioassays in step 1022. Alternatively, in step 1024, the sample tube may be dedicated for a serum bank. The sample tube may be positioned in a common box uncorrelated with an analytical test code such as indicating that the patient sample is HIV or HCV positive (i.e., one after the other) in step 1026. In step 1028, the box number and positions of the sample tubes in the box are recorded in a laboratory book (step 1028). The box is then stored in a freezer (step 1030), and the position of the box in the freezer is recorded in the laboratory book (step 1032).
FIG. 3 shows another conventional process. In this process, blood samples may be placed in a number of sample tubes (step 1040). Some sample tubes may proceed along a post-analytical path and may be subject to a bioassay (step 1042). Other sample tubes may proceed along a pre-analytical path and may not be subject to the bioassay (step 1043). In step 1044, either post-analytical or pre-analytical samples may be aliquoted into new sample tubes or into a microtitre plate (step 1044). The tube or plate may be placed in a common box, uncorrelated with an analytical test code (i.e., random sample types) (step 1046), or may be positioned in a box that is dedicated to a single test such as Toxoplasmosis or Rubella or a single type of patient sample, e.g. HIV or HCV positive (step 1048). The box number and position of the tube or plate in the box are recorded in a laboratory book (step 1050), and the box is then placed into an open area of a freezer (step 1052). Again, the box may be placed in a random position of the freezer, or a specific area of the freezer can be defined for a specific type of patient sample, such as HIV or HCV. Again, certain countries, such as France, require the placement of like patient samples (HIV/HCV tested) in the same freezer location. The position of the box in the freezer is then recorded in the book (step 1054).
One system that addresses the above problem includes a software product called ItemTracker™ by ItemTracker Software Ltd. In this product, samples can be stored in a refrigerator and the locations of those samples can be tracked. However, the locations of the samples in the refrigerator correspond to different technicians that are responsible for processing the samples. Further, the software is essentially a stand-alone piece of software that is not integrated with any other instrument, thereby making it limited in its application.
Other systems that discuss storage are described in a number of U.S. Published patent applications. These are listed below.
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 20100028124 to Lackner et al. describes a laboratory storage and retrieval system that is used to store laboratory sample tubes and retrieve stored sample tubes. This published application describes a system that resorts sample tubes on the basis of the expiration dates of the contents of the sample tubes. According this published patent application, this simplifies the disposal of the expired samples.
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2010/0049358 to Koch et al. discloses a method and system for handling sample tube racks. It discloses resorting sample tubes according to the diameters of the sample tubes and the sample tubes' shelf lives.
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2012/0283867 to Gelbman et al. discloses an automated refrigerated specimen inventory management system. The system allows a user to identify desired pre- and post-analytical storage temperatures desired for each unique combination of sample/specimen type and test requested.
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2010/0303590 to Pedrazzini discloses an apparatus for automatically depositing, preserving and retrieving biological material specimens in a refrigerated storage. Pedrazzini discloses a storage comprising a shelf counter consisting of a pair of optical fibers which detect the passage of a tab placed on the external wall of the shelves and an emitter-receiver pair adapted to detect the presence of a container during the handling between the storage and a bench.
Embodiments of the invention address these and other problems, individually and collectively.